Thursday, 19 June 2014

Child exploitation

At the Free Society, Brain Monteith writes about the prohibitionists' penchant for surveys of children. Asking leading questions of malleable minors is the cheapest of political tricks, but the anti-smokers and anti-drinkers are increasingly resorting to it. We saw it in Peter Taylor's BBC documentary recently, as well as in many other plain packaging promotions. Alcohol Concern even uses a group of chiiiildren to make complaints about alcohol advertising (which are hardly ever upheld).

Brian looks at the latest example in Scotland which involves a charity that is - surprise, surprise - mostly funded by the government.

The seventeen Youth Commissioners were tasked with an inquiry into how a “smoke-free generation” might be achieved by 2034. So there we have it, not tasked with how to extend choice, liberty and freedom for young people in the future – but how to introduce prohibition. The result was self-fulfilling – proposals for one ban after another until there is little freedom to smoke or vape unless you are old and crusty and expected to die anyway… that way smoking disappears. How naïve!

1 comment:

I have that photo of Princess Yvonne and Prince Alexander (taken 1955) on file too. They provide a refreshing dose of reality to a drab grey world that the prohibitionists are busy creating. I'm sure they would have been far better equipped to be on the 'Youth Commission' than the dour wannabe authoritarians who handed down the tripe about achieving a 'smoke-free generation'.

God help us if the 'Youth Commission' ever get into a position to put their plans into action.

About Me

Writer and researcher at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Blogging in a personal capacity.
Author of Selfishness, Greed and Capitalism (2015), The Art of Suppression (2011), The Spirit Level Delusion (2010) and Velvet Glove, Iron Fist (2009).

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."